A number of blow dryers and other electromechanical devices for providing hot and/or cold air are available for use in accelerating evaporation of moisture and water remaining on a user after a shower or bath. By way of an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,424 to Albanes describe a body drying system for positioning between a towel rack and a wall for drying a towel and/or a user. The system includes a rectangular housing containing a heating element positioned adjacent to a forward face of the housing, and which is provided with a number of apertures on the forward face. Albanes suggests that when positioned between a wall and a towel rack such that a towel supporting rail of the towel rack is located in front of the housing forward face, and beneath an upper surface, the system allows for multiple uses for drying a robe or towel placed on the towel rack, as well as for drying a user positioned in front of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,179 to Gregory describes an air distribution panel for mounting to a wall, and which is fluidically coupled to a blower/motor assembly. The air distribution panel includes a number of vertically extended riser ducts, each riser duct having a series of vertically spaced air flow nozzles. The riser ducts receive forced heated or cool air from the blower/motor assembly, and dispense the forced air outwardly through the air flow nozzles, and toward a user. Gregory describes that the riser ducts have a tapered configuration towards a closed top end, such that the volume of air continually decreases from a bottom end portion towards a top end portion. Gregory suggests that the tapered configuration allows the velocity of air dispensed through the vertically spaced air flow nozzles to remain uniform and constant, and without requiring use of baffles, dampers, throttles or valves.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,539 to Hatfield describes a body drier system which includes a pair of opposed side walls and a top face extending between top edges of the side walls. A channel located within the side walls extends to the top face, so as to provide fluid communication between vent assemblies mounted on an interior portion of the side walls and a blower assembly coupled to the top face. The blower assembly provides hot or cold air through the channel and out of the vent assemblies to a user positioned between the side walls.
A number of known body or hair dryer devices suffer the disadvantages in that the devices may not permit direct installation in an existing bathroom, bathtub or shower stall without requiring significant reconfigurations and modifications. Furthermore, a number of known devices include electrical components which may easily come in contact with water or water sources during use, and may therefore pose potential significant health and safety risk to users. Other known devices such as that of Albanes described above are located away from a bathtub or shower stall, such that a user could not be dried shortly after taking a bath or shower.